Paper and periodical vending machine



July 19, 1955 T. A. HUTSELL PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1. 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet l THOMAS A. HUTSELL 23 Zhwentor Gttornegs July 19, 1955 T. A. HUTSELL PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 1, 1949 Gttomegs July 19, 1955 T. A. HUTSELL PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 1, 1949 THOMAS I A. HUTSELL Imventot y 1955 'r. A. HUTSELL PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-$heet 4 Filed NOV. 1, 1949 THOMAS A. HUTSELL Zhwentor (Ittornegs y 1955 T. A. HUTSELL PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 1, 1949 THOMAS A. HUESELL nventor July 19,1955 T. A. HUTSELL 2,713,441

PAPER AND PERIODICAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 THOMAS A. HUTSELL Ihwentor United States Patent PAPER AND PERISDICAL VENDING MACHINE Thomas A. I-Iutseil, Renton, Wash.

Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,7%

3 Claims. (Ci. 221-39) This present invention contemplates a machine of the coin-controlled type in which newspapers and like periodicals are normally stored in a vertical inclined position and will be dispensed by the manual operation of an externally positioned handle. Means are provided for insuring that the vending cycle can only be completed when the requisite amount of money, in the form of coin, has been properly deposited in the coin chute.

This present vending machine is believed to meet the need of a universal news vending machine of the type where the purchaser obtains his newspaper or magazines by inserting one or more coins of the popular denominations representing the price of the article to be vended. A great many items must be considered in the design of a successful machine for this purpose. The design must accommodate printed matter of diiferent sizes, weights and thicknesses; it must be impervious to all kinds of weather; it must cover a large price range so that, as various editions are oifered for sale, it may be adjustable to take care of the changing price range, and considering the increased price of newspapers and magazines, these machines should be able to accurately determine if the proper purchase price has been deposited, even though the same may be made up of varying combinations of coins. The ideal machine must vend a paper whenever the proper coins have been inserted and must return all coins to the purchaser when improper coins or inadequate amounts are used. The machine must be easy to fill with the literature to be vended, and the titles or headlines of such material must be plainly visible to the purchaser. The machine, further, must be easy to operate without special skill and all the essential parts must be easily replaceable by unskilled personnel. In this present vending machine, it is believed that each and every one of these desirable characteristics has been completely obtained.

This vending machine consists of a waterproof box with a hinged top fitted with a suitable window for the easy viewing of headlines and the like. Means available from the inside of the box are suitable for attaching the box to a support or post, and a lock serves to protect both the contents of the box and its mechanism and insures against the removal of the box from its support. The vended paper or magazine is delivered through a downwardly directed plane terminating in a slot at the bottom of the box.

The principal object of this present invention is to provide a coin-controlled vending machine for newspapers and periodicals that overcomes the deficiencies noted in equipment of this order in the past.

A further obiect is to provide a vending machine in which a plurality of functional assemblies constitute the working parts of the equipment and each of these is capable of easy substitution in the field so that a damaged unit, or one out of adjustment, can be taken to a central point for servicing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vending machine which is characterized by such simplicity of ice construction that it can be expected to have a long useful life without servicing, and which simplicity of construction will make it possible to provide the machines at a low enough cost so that they can be generally used for their intended purpose.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a paper vending machine made after the teachings of this present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the vertical plane passing through the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3' 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3 and showing one of the paper engaging pads used in dispensing papers with this machine;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the coin handling SUb'WSSfiIlblY and certain other associated parts;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the coin handiing equipment, as viewed along the lines 66 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the various parts in a diiierent phase position;

Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating a small portion taken from the left upper corner of Figure 6, the same being shown on an enlarged scale;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the rollers used at one end of the paper backing member;

Figure 10 is a sectional view generally similar to Figure 6 and again showing the parts in a still different position from Figure 7;

Figure 11 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing the vending arm toggle in one of its operational positions, but showing the same from the side opposite Figure 10;

Figure 12 shows the vending arm toggle in its opposite or alternate position, and viewed in the same direction as Figure 11';

Figure 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the means for directing the purchase coin into the cash box or into the return receptacle.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numeral 16 designates the main housing of this vending machine. It is arranged as a weather-proof box, having the hinged cover 18, which is hingedly secured to housing 16 by a plurality of hinges 19, which are preferably disposed on one end of the housing for a reason which will be apparent later. Cover 18 is provided with a weather-tight inspection window 20, through which headlines of newspapers or titles on other periodicals may be observed prior to the purchase of the same. A lock, not shown, is provided for securing cover .20 in its closed position and thus providing security for the contents of the box, the coin chamber, and also to prevent removal of the box as a unit from its support, inasmuch as this securing means passes from the inside of the box to the post or other support. At the bottom of the box and arranged with a downward slant is slot 22 which terminates in a slight upturned lip 23. This lip functions to restrain the paper after it has been discharged from the paper carrier, and thus preventing it from falling on the ground where it might become soiled. A plurality of strips 24 provide a sloping plane which directs the papers to slot 22. This vending machine, aside from the housing, consists of three sub-assemblies. These sub-assemblies each have a difierent functional use and are arranged so that they may be removed as a unit from the device for easy serving, or replacement in case of damage or need of further adjustment. These functional assemblies consist of: (1) a coin-controlled lock mechanism which is operated manually by a handle and which, when unlocked by a suitable coin or group of coins, picks up and simultaneously operates a vending mechanism and releases the coins which have been inserted; (2) a vending arm assembly which, when operated, vends a paper and directs the purchasing coins to the coin box; (3) a paper carrier which stores a supply of papers and presents them in turn to the vending mechanism.

Coin-controlled lock mechanism This assembly can again be broken up into two parts: (1) a device for orienting a deposited coin; and (2) a lock mechanism that prevents operation of the vending arm assembly when there is not an oriented coin in device No. 1. As can be observed, there are coin slots 37 of a size to prevent insertion of larger coins than the chosen denomination, in the upper front face of the vending machine housing. There are vertical retaining partitions 39 on either side of the coin slots, attached to the vending machine housing to keep the coins in a vertical oriented position, as shown in Figure 13. A horizontal coin retaining plate 38, slidable transversely in relation to the partitions, is disposed below the vertical retaining partitions 39 to receive the coins in the same vertically oriented position. There are also coin slots 40 in the retaining plate 38. These slots in effect consist of two oblong openings that are joined-one large enough to pass a coin of the desired denomination, and one small enough to only let the coin of the desired denomination partially enter, thereby holding the oriented coin by its base in a vertically oriented position. It can be seen, then, that when the smaller slot is in position under the coin slot 37, a coin of the correct denomination will be held in an oriented position when inserted in the coin slot 36, but that larger coins can not be inserted, and smaller coins will fall down through and be returned to the return coin slot. During the vending operation, the retaining plate 38 is moved so that the larger coin slot is under the coin slot 36, and the coin will fall through and be directed to the coin box by means that will be recited hereafter.

A bell crank 33 is pivotally mounted around a point 34, above and slightly behind the position of an oriented coin. An arm of the bell crank 33 in a substantially downward position is designed to pivot past the coin slot in the retaining plate 38 between the retaining partitions 39. If a coin is in place, the forward movement of this arm will be prevented. There is provided a door 35 hingedly connected with the housing above the coin slot 37, extending over the coin slot 37. An arm of the bell crank 33, extending in a substantially horizontal position toward the housing bearing against the door 35, prevents insertion of more coins through the slot 37, if a coin is in an oriented position in the retaining plate 38, because this arm can not pivot upward due to the action of the downward arm against the oriented coin. If a coin is not in such a position, the forward arm of the bell crank 33 will be tilted upward by the action of the door 35, permitting entrance of a coin, and such tilting will not be prevented by the movement of the downward arm past the slot in the retaining plate because there is no intervening coin. It can be seen that this mechanism prevents the insertion of another coin when there is already an oriented coin in position.

A tab 30 is slidably mounted above the coin slot 37 and the bell crank 33 on the housing can best be seen in Figure 8. In its down position, it bears against the top of the horizontal arm of the bell crank 33, and this arm, in turn, bears against the door 35 and prevents a coin from being inserted in the coin slot 37. On the side of the tab 30, toward the housing, is printed two legends to be viewed through an aperture 32 in the housing. One legend, in view when the tab is up and a coin can be inserted in the coin slot 37, indicates the proper denomination of coin to be inserted. The other legend, in view When the tab is down, reads No and indicates that a coin should not be inserted, and thus a customer will not attempt to insert a coin in a coin slot 37 that has a door secured by the tab 30.

A plurality of coin slots 37, and associated parts, are placed in a horizontal row across the front of the housing. A customer then can read what coins should be inserted. Coins of other denominations can not be inserted or will be returned, and more than enough coins of the proper denomination cannot be inserted. Means will be recited later to provide for vending an article when the correct amount has been deposited and is oriented in the coin retaining plate 38. The machine can be changed from one charge to another by pulling up the proper tabs 30. The tabs are provided with inwardly extending flanges at the upward end to facilitate changing the position of the tabs.

The lock mechanism, for preventing operation of the vending arm assembly, when there is not an oriented coin or oriented coins in position, is best shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 10. There are a plurality of latch levers 42, one for each of the coin slots 37, as well as a bell crank 33 for each coin slot 37 The latch levers 42 are mounted pivotally on a shaft 41 running to either end of the housing, parallel to the housing side with the coin slots 37. The latch levers 42 are substantially horizontal with their free ends, extending to contiguous the vertical arm of the bell crank 33. The vertical arm of the bell crank 33 has a projection on the lower end extending towards the latch lever 42, designed to prevent downward movement of the free end of the latch lever, when the forward edge of the vertical arm of the bell crank 33 is bearing against an oriented coin. A cover plate 44 is provided to prevent the insertion of coins when operating handle 45 is in any position except its normal position of rest, as shown in Figure 6. At any other position, locking of all the bellcranks 33 is secured by the arrangement shown in Figure 7.

The operating handle 45 is fixedly mounted on an operating shaft 50, said shaft running to either end of the housing, parallel to the side of the housing with the coin slots 37. One end of the operating arm 59 is mounted fixedly on the operating shaft with the free end extending forward in the non-vending position. As will be apparent from the subsequent description, there need be only one operating arm 59 for the plurality of coin slots 37. Mounted pivotally on the free end of the operating arm 59 is a catch plate 43 extending transversely in relation to the latch levers 42. The latch levers 42 have a notch 46 above the pivotal connection between the catch plate 43 and the operating arm 59 with a bearing edge against which the free edge of the catch plate 43 bears when the mechanism is at rest; said catch plate 43 is pulled toward the operating shaft 50 by spring means 47 attached to the operating shaft 50 and the upper side of the catch plate 43.

There is a floating vending lever 49 rotatably mounted on the operating shaft 50. One arm towards the back is connected with the vending arm assembly, as will be described later. It is suflicient to say that, unless the floating vending lever 49 is pivoted, the vending mechanism will not be activated. The floating vending lever 49 is activated by the catch plate 43 only when there is an oriented coin in position. The free arm of the floating vending lever 49 extends forward to contiguous the catch plate 43, and slightly below a locking slot in the catch plate 43, when the mechanism is at rest. if the locking plate 43 remains in the notch 46 of any of the latch levers 42, when the operating handle 45 is moved, pivoting the operating arm 59, the locking slots of the catch plate 43 will not tilt toward the operating shaft 50 and the floating vending lever 49 will not be caught and will not move.

Figure shows the action of the lock mechanism when a coin was not oriented at the time the operating handle 4-5 was depressed, and Figure 7 shows the action of the lock mechanism when the proper coins were oriented at the time the operating handle 45 was depressed.

Vending arm assembly A link 52 is pivotally attached at its upper end to the rear arm or" the floating, vending lever 45 This connects the operating mechanism and lock mechanism to the vending arm assembly, as is apparent from drawings 6, 7, and 10. There is a U-shaped base member 64- for the vending arm assembly disposed in a substantially horizontal position with its forward end fixedly secured to the rotatable shaft 65. This shaft is rotatably mounted in plates on either side of the vending assembly. A telescopic vending bar 68 is slidably mounted in the U- shape of the base member 6a and is held in place by guide bars 67, positioned transversely between the sides of the base member 64. An arm or bracket 77 is secured to the base of the base member 64 in a downward position and there are mating longitudinal slots in base member 64 and the telescopic vending bar 68 above said bracket 77. Bracket 77 and the slots are placed so that the free end of link 52. passes through said slots and pivotally attaches, as 4%, to a pivoting lever 70, and said pivoting lever 76 pivotally attaches, as 76, to the bracket '77. An upward arm of the pivoting lever 76 extends up through said slots, and has a bifurcated tip 72 which fits on rod 74 mounted transversely in upwardly disposed bosses on the telescopic vending bar 68.

A spring-loaded toggle, shown in its two extreme positions in Figures 11 and 12, is fixedly attached to the rotatable shaft 65 by one arm 130, and the other arm 132, pivotally connected to arm 130 at 133, is pivotally and slidably attached to the side plate 134 of the vending arm assembly by pin 136 secured to side plate 134 and slidahle in slot 133 of arm 132. A compression spring 1 56 is compressed between pin 136 and end member 142 of arm 132. When the vending arm assembly is acted upon by the upward movement of the attached arm 144 of the floating vending lever 49, the resistance of t e toggle causes pivoting lever 70 to press the telescopic vending bar 63, carrying the paper engaging tab 32 firmly against the contiguous paper as will be seen from Figure 6. The paper is lifted by the movement of the vending arm 63 until clear of the retaining stops 87, shown in Figure 2. When the toggle has moved over center, the spring action telescopes the vending arm 68 away from the paper to the position shown in Figure 7, with a snap action, and the paper is dropped into the vending slot 22 and against the retaining lip 23 in the bottom of box 16. A stop link 99 is slidably positioned above the back arm 144 of the floating vending lever 49 and is pivotally joined with link 52 and the back arm 3.44 of the floating lever 49 at 68. This is positioned so that, when the toggle moves over center, further upward movement of link 62; is prevented, and the force of the toggle acts to telescope the vending bar 68 within the base member 64 to the position shown in Figure 7. This action also revolves cover plate 44 to its position by the action of the upper end of stop link 90, locking bellcranks 33 against the entry of coins as will be seen from Figure 7.

As the operating handle 45 moves back to its normal position, the vending arm 63 and the toggle are pulled back over center, and the pivoting lever 70 moves the vending arm 68 back into the position shown in Figure 6 with the paper engaging tab 82 against the next paper. Attached to the handle beam 95 is the shaft F7 of a spring loaded dashpot 99. The body of the dashpot, after the showing of Figure 2, is anchored to a pin 100, which is secured to the housing of the coin control mechanism. Following the principles of dashpots, there is attached to shaft 97 the piston 101 having the usual leather cup oper- 6 ating means; and bearing against the piston TM is a preloaded spring 103. The spring acts to return the handle to its top or normal position, and the piston acts as a damper to this operation as the trapped air escapes through a small orifice in the piston.

To review the vending cycle, Figure 6 shows the assembly at the beginning of operation with handle 45 in the position it normally assumes under the pressure of compression spring 103 in dashpot 99 shown in Figures 2 and 5. Figure 7 shows the assembly after a paper has been vended. The parts are returned to the Figure 6 position through the action of spring 103 acting on handle beam 95. Other than pivoting of the assembly together, the parts may be said to only have two positions, that of Figure 6 and that of Figure 7.

Referring to Figure 6, the cycle is started by the downward movement of handle 45 which moves operating arm 5'9 downward. As has been explained before, catch plate 43 engages vending lever 49 and carries it with operating arm 5 when the proper coins have been deposited. Therefore, arm 144- of vending lever 49 moves upward as handle 45 moves downward. Link 52 moves upward with arm 144 and acts on pivoting lever to press vending bar 68 to the right as viewed in Figure 6 engaging the front paper in the paper holding mechanism by paper engaging tabs 82. It will be understood from Figure 2 that a paper will be caused to be released from stop 87 if the paper engaging tabs are pressed against the paper while being raised. As link 52 moves upwards, base member 64 resists the upward pull of link 52 acting through pivoting lever 70 and bracket 77. When the vending bar 68 is pressing against the paper, of course pivoting lever 70 can pivot no farther so the resistance of base member 64 is overcome and it is pivoted upwards. The resistance of base member is caused by the spring loaded toggle shown in Figures 11 and 12. The parts remain in the orientation of Figure 6, with the exception that base member 64 and vending bar 68 are pivoted upward until the position of Figure 7 is approached when link 52 is restrained from further upward movement through stop link 90.

The assembly would remain in this orientation with vending bar 68 pressing against the front paper in the general orientation of Figure 6, if it were not for the action of the toggle. This toggle is positioned to break over center, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, at or slightly before link 52 is restrained by stop link 96. The relationship of link 52 and base member 64 are reversed at this point and it is link 52 which resists movement and it is base member 64 which is pressed to move upward through the action of the toggle joint passing over center which acts on base member 64 through shaft 65. It will be observed from Figure 6 that when link 52 can not move upward and when base member 64 is pressed to move upward, pivoting lever 70 pivots from the position of Figure 6 to the position of Figure 7. When lever "it? pivots under the urgence of base member 64 acting thereon through bracket 77, it acts to retract or telescope vending bar 68 with relation to base member 64 and the paper is free to drop from the paper engaging tabs 82.

Vending now having been complete, the parts return to the position of Figure 6. This could be accomplished by manual movement of handle 45 upwards; but it is preferably accomplished by the action of dashpot spring 193, no longer manually restrained, acting through shaft 50 on rear arm 144 of vending lever 49. As arm 144 moves downward it presses on link 52 which acts on base member 64 to pivot it downward through pivoting lever 7t) and bracket 77. As the toggle is resisting this movement pivoting lever 76 tends to be biased counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 7 and the parts have the orientation of Figure 7, other than said pivoting, until the toggle breaks over center and acts to press pivoting lever 70 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 7, until the parts have assumed the position of Figure 6.

The coin director plate 58 normally stands in the position shown in Figure 13 so coins will be directed to return, but it is tipped by movement of the vending arm assembly by means of link 92 and lever 93 to direct coins to the attached repository during the vending operation. A ratchet, not shown, prevents handle 45 from being returned until it has finished the stroke in the direction in which it has been started. When the operating handle 45 reaches the end of its down stroke, the coin retaining plate 38 is moved by the action of the operating handle 45 aganist the out-turned end 54 of the slide 55, and the action of the slide on the bell crank trips lever 56. This moves oriented coins from the smaller part of the coin slots 40 in the retaining plates 33 to the larger part of the coin slot 40, and the coin falls through and impinges on the coin. director plate 58, which has been positioned to direct the coins into the coin box. Normally plate 58 is positioned to direct coins passing through the unactuated plate 33 into the coin return chute and only directs the coins into the coin box when the values are correct.

The paper engaging tabs 82 are normally formed of rubber or similar resilient material which are bonded to a U-shaped holder 83, which also has secured thereto a plurality of sharp needle-like members 85. It has been found that the old style steel phonograph needle is very effective for these members. This structure is shown in considerable detail in Figure 4, where it will be noted that the extreme point of the needle 85 just comes to the surface of the resilient material. The compression of the resilient material is relied upon to bare more of the points in the newspapers to be vended. This minimizes tearing of the newspapers.

Paper carrier The operation of the paper carrier in this vending machine will be best understood from a study of Figures 2 and 3 with the fragmentary perspective view shown in Figure 9. The paper carrier holds a stack of papers, with normally the folded portion downward, and holds them at a slight incline substantially as shown in Figure 2. The lower ends of the papers come to rest against stops 87 and rollers 61. The papers rest upon a follower backing plate 105 which, in turn, is pivotally secured Within the carriage 1%. Carriage 106 extends the full length of the papers, so that the guiding and supporting wheels 108 may run in guideways 109 and 110 disposed at each end of the papers and secured to the housing proper 16. The operating shaft fit carries two sets of levers 69 which, in turn, are fitted with rollers 61, which serve to re-position papers after each vending operation.

Downward tension is placed upon this carriage by means of tension springs 112 which are secured to the housing at 114 and pass around the revolvable sheave 116 and are secured one at each end of carrier )6.

When it is desired to recharge this paper carrier with additional papers, the cover 13 is unlocked and pivoted up to the left, as viewed in Figure 1 about hinges 19. This action draws up cable 129 which, passing around sheaves as 121, engages the rear margin of carriage W 106 and carries it and the follower backing plate 105 back to the rear of the cabinet, making it convenient for the recharging of the carrier.

As can be seen from the preceding description a vending machine built under the teachings of my invention meets the objects heretofore set forth. A purchaser may obtain his newspaper by inserting one or more coins of the proper denominations, according to the settings of the tabs above the coin slots for the particular day. The design accommodates printed matter of different sizes, weights and thicknesses. The machine will not vend unless the proper coins are inserted. If improper coins are inserted, they will be returned by passing through the coin mechanism immediately, or if they are too large, they can not be introduced in slots 37. The machine is easy to fill with the literature to be vended, thereby tuted, thus eliminating a return service call.

saving the time of the service men. The customer has only to insert the proper coins and pull down the lever to vend a paper, so little skill is needed to operate the machine. The parts do not need much maintenance, and all the essential parts may be easily replaced by unskilled personnel. The functional assemblies of the vending machine are capable of easy substitution in the field, so that a damaged unit or one out of adjustment can be taken to a central point for servicing and a working unit substi- The mi.- ehine is of inexpensive construction and presents a pleasing appearance.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will occur to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine for newspapers wherein the papers are positioned erect in juxtaposition with their folds downward and backed by a follower and wherein there are means urging the follower forward pressing the papers toward a stop active upon the lower folded edge of the foremost paper and over which the papers must be caused to hurdle, a telescopic vending assembly, comprising: a base member pivotally mounted in front of said papers having a free end directed toward said papers which is free to move vertically; a vending arm mounted on said base member and slidable longitudinally thereof in telescoping relationship thereto, said vending arm having a paper engaging end directed toward said papers; a manually operable vending handle; linkage means operable upon movement of said vending handle to move said free end of said base member downward and upward; and a spring activated toggle disposed to force said vending arm into position to contact the foremost paper at the start of the upward movement of the free end of said base member and disposed to move over its center so as to retract said vending arm telescopically in regard said base member upon said free end of said base member reaching its uppermost position, thereby releasing such paper.

2. In a vending machine for newspapers, wherein the papers are positioned erect in juxtaposition with their folds downward and backed by a follower and wherein there are means urging the follower forward pressing the papers toward a stop active upon the lower folded edge of the foremost paper and over which the papers must be caused to hurdle, a telescopic vending assembly, comprising: a base member pivotally mounted in front of said papers having a free end directed toward said papers which is free to move vertically; a vending arm mounted on said base member and slidable longitudinally thereof in telescoping relationship thereto, said vending arm having a paper engaging end directed toward said papers; a manually operable vending handle; crank means connected to said vending handle to move therewith during the vending cycle; linkage means connecting said crank, base member and vending arm in a manner so as to move said vending arm in extension from said base member upon operation of said vending handle and so as to swing said base member from a lower position to an upper position; a spring activated toggle having one end fixedly attached to said base met ber and disposed to pass over center as said base member reaches said upper position, said toggle in passing over center biasing said base member against said linkage means in a manner so as to move said vending arm in retraction into said base member.

3. In a vending machine for newspapers having a housing wherein the papers are positioned erect in juxtaposition with their folds downward and backed by a follower and wherein there are means urging the follower forward pressing the papers toward a stop active upon the lower folded edge of the foremost paper and over which the papers must be caused to hurdle, a telescopic vending assembly, comprising: a base member pivotally mounted in front of said papers having a free end directed toward said papers which is free to move vertically; a vending arm mounted on said base member and slidable longitudinally thereof in telescoping relationship thereto, said vending arm having a paper engaging end directed toward said papers; a manually operable vending handle; a crank connected to said vending handle to move therewith during the vending cycle; an L-shaped member having two legs portions, said L-shaped member being connected to said base member to pivot in relation thereto, one leg portion being connected to said vending arm; a spring activated toggle having one end fixedly secured to said base member and having its other end pivotal about a fixed pivot point in relation to said housing; said link acting through said L-shaped member being disposed to move said base member from a lower position to an upper position when said crank is moved by said vending handle for vending and said L-shaped member being disposed to urge said vending arm in extension from said base member into contact with said papers, said toggle being disposed to pass over center when said base member reaches said upper position and to urge said base member toward further upward movement and stop means for said link preventing such further upward movement, whereby said toggle urges said L-shaped member to withdraw said vending arm in retraction into said base member, thereby releasing such papers.

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